TRAVEL TO HISTORICAL CITIES OF CHINA: FOUR GREAT ANCIENT CAPITALS

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Historical capitals of China The Chinese phrase Four Great Ancient Capitals of China traditionally refers to Beijing, Nanjing, Luoyang, and Xi'an. Due to additional evidence that has been discovered since the 1930s, other historical capitals have been included in the list. The later phrase Seven Ancient Capitals of China included Kaifeng (added in the 1920s as the fifth ancient capital), Hangzhou (the sixth, added in the 1930s), and Anyang (a proposal by numerous archaeologists in 1988, after which it finally became the seventh ancient capital). In 2004, the China Ancient Capital Society officially added Zhengzhou as an eighth. In alphabetical order: Anyang was the capital during the Yin period of the Shang Dynasty (estimated between 1600 BC and 1046 BC): called Yin (殷).Beijing was and has been the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):State of Yan in Spring and Autumn Period (722 BC--481 BC): called Ji (薊).Liao Dynasty (907--1125), as a secondary capital: called Yanjing (燕京"capital of Yan").Jin Dynasty (1115--1234) from Emperor Shizong until 1215: called Zhongdu (中都"central capital").Yuan Dynasty (1271--1368): called Dadu (大都"great capital") Ming Dynasty from the time of the Ming Yongle Emperor (1402---1424) until 1644 called Jingshi (京师,"capital").Qing Dynasty from the fall of the Ming in 1644 to the end of the dynasty in 1912.The Beiyang Government of the Republic of China.The current capital of the People's Republic of China. Chengdu was the capital of the Shu Kingdom during the period of the Three Kingdoms. It was briefly the seat of Chiang's ROC government during the Chinese civil war with the Communist Party of China.Chongqing was the provisional capital of the government of Chiang Kai-shek during World War II (Second Chinese-Japanese War), and was briefly the seat of Chiang's ROC government during the Chinese civil war with the Communist Party of China.Datong was the capital during Northern Wei Dynasty before moving to Luoyang in 493.Guangzhou was seat of the National Government before the Northern Expedition, and was briefly the seat of Chiang's ROC government during the Chinese civil war with the Communist Party of China.Hangzhou was the capital of The Wuyue Kingdom (904-978), during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period.China during the Southern Song Dynasty: called Lin'an (临安).Fenghao was the capital during Western Zhou Dynasty, located near present day Xi'an.Kaifeng was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):Later Liang Dynasty during the Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.Later Jin Dynasty during the Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.Later Han Dynasty during the Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.Later Zhou Dynasty during the Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.Northern Song Dynasty: called Dongjing (东京).Luoyang was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):Eastern Zhou Dynasty from 770 BC to 256 BCEastern Han Dynasty from 25 to 220Kingdom of Wei during the Three Kingdoms.Western Jin Dynasty from 493 to 534 Northern Wei Dynasty since 493, moved its capital from Datong.Later Tang Dynasty during the Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.Nanjing was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):all of the Six Dynasties: called Jianye (建业) or Jiankang (建康). The Six Dynasties are:Kingdom of Wu during the Three Kingdoms from 222 to 280 Eastern Jin Dynasty from 317 to 420 Liu Song Dynasty from 420 to 479 Southern Qi Dynasty from 479 to 502 Liang Dynasty from 502 to 557Chen Dynasty from 557 to 589 Ming Dynasty before Yongle Emperor moved the capital to Beijing.Taiping Tianguo (Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace and Prosperity) during the Taiping Rebellion. Known as Tianjing (天京literally 'Heavenly Capital') between 1853 and its fall in 1864.Republic of China after the Northern Expedition until the Japanese invasion in 1937 of World War II, and after the war until Chiang Kai-Shek retreated to Taiwan in 1949.Wang Jingwei's pro-Japanese collaborationist government.Taipei has been the de-facto capital of the Republic of China (Taiwan) since 1949.Wuhan was the capital of a leftist Kuomintang government led by Wang Jingwei in opposition to Chiang Kaishek during the 1920s.Xanadu (Shangdu) (上都) was the summer capital of Kublai Khan's empire.Xi'an (called Chang'an in ancient times) was the capital of various Chinese governments including (sorted chronologically):Western Zhou Dynasty, also see Fenghao.State of Qin in Spring and Autumn Period and Qin Dynasty 221 BC--207 BC: Xi'an is located near the Qin capital which is called Xianyang (咸阳).Western Han Dynasty from 206 BC to AD 9Xin Dynasty from 8 to 23Eastern Han Dynasty from 191 to 195Western Jin Dynasty from 313 to 316State of Former Zhao, a state in the Sixteen Kingdoms period during the Chinese Jin Dynasty (265-420).State of Former Qin from 351 to 394, from the Sixteen Kingdoms period.State of Later Qin from 384 to 417, from the Sixteen Kingdoms period.Western Wei Dynasty from 535 to 557 Northern Zhou Dynasty from 556 to 581Sui Dynasty from 581 to 618Tang Dynasty from 618 to 907Ye was the capital of Eastern Wei Dynasty and Northern Qi Dynasty.